In the era of AirBnB and budget flights to pretty much anywhere on Earth, it has never been easier for an ordinary person to feel like a millionaire, at least for a few days. Even rooms at some of Europe’s most luxurious hotels are now affordable to anyone on an average salary.
However, a weekend stay at Le Bristol or a few days sunning it on a Thai beach doesn’t cut it for the 1% these days. The richest people have entirely different travel habits to the rest of us and experience the world in completely different ways. If you want to know how the wealthy truly travel, read on to find out.
Completely Customized Experiences
The wealthy aren’t content with simply picking up a copy of Lonely Planet and trying to cobble together an itinerary. They want a tailored experience, compiled by people with the utmost taste and insider knowledge. Before they set off on their vacation, many rich people will pay upwards of £100,000 to have a luxury guide compile the perfect trip for them, from Michelin-starred restaurant renovations to unique private cultural excursions. All of this will be planned without them lifting a finger.
Member's Club Vacations
Contrary to popular belief, the rich don’t tend to travel alone. They may arrive by private jet, but social, group excursions are generally the predominant trend amongst ultra-wealthy travellers. Naturally, this doesn’t mean booking an under-30s group tour with a package holiday group. Many will join exclusive private members’ clubs, such as Mr Green’s Club Royale, a VIP Casino club for high rollers and people who want to see sights such as Miami Beach, Lapland, and the Bahamas in the company of similarly well-heeled globetrotters. Even a vacation can be a networking opportunity.
(Very) Long Trips Away
Other than money, the luxury that the 1% have in abundance is time. The wealthy value cultural enrichment and know that they won’t get it from a five-day trip to Budapest. They’ll typically pencil in trips in one country for anything from four weeks to six months, allowing them to immerse themselves in the culture and truly feel like a local. There is an army of companies which cater to this, one of the most popular being Beauchamp, which specializes in putting up well-heeled globetrotters in long-term, luxury accommodation.
Off-the-Radar
When you think of luxury destinations, you probably think of Paris, New York, Milan, or Venice. However, the wealthy don’t tend to consider these popular tourist destinations as places to vacation, as they’d rather be away from the crowds. The wealthy tend to go off the beaten track and shack up in places that few tourists have even heard of, yet alone visited. Luxury style bible Tatler has the current hottest destinations for the ultra-rich as Isfahan in Iran, Lima in Peru, Tbilisi in Georgia, and Seydisfjördur in Iceland, in case you were wondering.
So now you know, if you truly want to experience the world like a billionaire, you just need to arrange a six-month trip to eastern Iceland, surrounded by other billionaires, with every day planned out for you. Simple!
